Cut-out for electric-signal boxes



(No Model.)

L. W. MILLER. v GUT-OUT FOR ELECTRIC SIGNAL BOXES.

No. 592,427. Patented Oct. 26, 1897.

NlTD STATES PATENT Fries.

LOUIS WV. MILLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEYV YORK.

CUT-OUT FOR ELECTRIC-SIGNAL BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,427, dated October 26, 1897.

Application filed September 29,1896; erial No- 607,313. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. MILLER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe, in the State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Cut-Outs for Electric-Signal Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in cut-outs for electric-signal boxes designed to prevent the closing of the door and the cutting the instrument out of circuit by means of a supplemental lock arranged to antomatically eject its bolt when the door is opened, so as to keep the door open until such lock is operated by a person provided with the proper key, which improvements are fully described in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, the novel fea tures thereof being specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

In the accompanying drawings, representing my present improvements, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an electric signal box with the outer door open. Fig. 2 is an elevation of myimproved cut-out. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. 4 represents one of the posts detached. Fig. 5 represents the interior of the lock which prevents the outer door of the electric-signal box from being shut, which would interfere with the alarm sent in. Fig. 6 represents the bolt and tumbler of the same detached. Fig. 7 is a side view of the look.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the case of an electric-signal box; 13, the door; 0, the cut-out, and D the supplemental lock, which prevents the closing of the door. The door is also provided with the usual lock E, arranged to unlock the door from the outside.

F is an inner door to the box which protccts the mechanism behind it and which in Fig. 1 is shown partially broken away to display the cut-out.

The mechanism inside the box may be of any ordinary or preferred construction for fire alarm, police, or other purposes and adapted to transmitting a suitable electric signal by the manipulation of a handle or other movable part G.

My improved cut-out prevents an electric current of any kind from entering the box when the outer door B is closed, and the sup plemental lock D prevents the accidental or intentional closing of the door, so as to operate the cut-out, which would prevent the transmission of signals from the box. The door B is provided 011 the inside with a stud H, which when the door is closed makes contact with the pin I and forces it inward, thereby operating the cut-out and breaking the connection between the mechanism of the box and the line-wires. The bolt J of the lock D is forced outward by a spring m, Figs. 5 and 6, when door Bis opened, and it remains in such position, preventing the shutting of the door by contact with the case at b, Fig. 1, so that the door cannot be closed until the bolt is drawn inward by the use of a suitable key, which operates the tumbler or tumblers of the lock and draws the bolt J inward into the lock. The box then once opened remains opened, and the cut-out forms an electrical connection with the line-wires until the lock D is operated so as i to retract the bolt J, after which the door can be fully closed. The inner door F is provided with a lock 0 of any usual construction. VVhenthe outer door B is opened, the stud H thereon is withdrawn from contact with the pin I of the cut-out, and the spring K, Fig. 2, then moves the slide L so as to close the electric circuit.

The cut-out 0 consists, essentially, of the parallel ways or guides M M, the transverse end blocks N N, of insulating materiahthc slide L, which is also of insulating material, and the posts, contact-arms, and plates, which effect the electrical connection. The ways ends of theinsulating end blocks N N, which are secured by screws, as shown. One or is partially seated in the end block N. The 7 is preferably provided on its outer end with an insulating-block f, Figs. 2 and 3, which makes contact with the stud H on the door 13. The posts P P are attached to the end block N in any suitable manner. provided with the contact-plates g and e i, which are held in place in any suitable manner, as by screws passing through from the rear side of the slide. The posts 0 O are provided with the pivoted contact-armsZ Z Z Z and the posts P P with the contact-arms 'nn. These contact-arms extend inward and downward, so that their ends make contact with the plates g and 'Z 71. The plates g and 'Z iare separated from each other by a suitable interval. In the position shown in the full lines in Figs. 2 and 3 the contact-arms all bear upon the plates 1) 2"; but when the slide L is moved inward by the closing of the door B, as indicated by the dotted lines in the said figures, the arms 'n n are in contact with the plates 4. 2" and the arms Z Z Z Z in contact with the plate 9 only. The upper ends of the contact-arms are inserted in slots in the posts, being pivoted therein by the pins 1- r. The contact-arms are. pressed downward against the plates by the springs q, inserted in holes 8 s, Fig. 4, inthe posts, a separate spring being used for each of the pairs of arms Z Z Z Z.

It will be noticed that the arms Z Z are shorter than the arms Z Z, the result of which is that the plate g will make contact with the shorter arm before the'longer arms leave the plates i t", whereby the opening of the circuit is prevented. If the circuit were opened, it

would cause the mechanism to strike a false the posts 0 0.

blow or give a false signal in the enginehouses, &c., the same as if one of the linewires were broken.

The connection is made with the line-wires by the conductors Q) 1;, which enter the bot tom of the-box A and pass through the side of the inner case in such fashion as to reach The posts P P are connected with the binding-screws t t, Fig. 1, by the wires-1 and 2, and these binding-screws are connected with the signal mechanism in the inner case in any suitable manner. Ali'ghtning-arrester 25 may be employed and also the signal-key Q.

The construction of the supplemental lock D on the door B will be understood from Figs. 5, 6, and 7. In Fig. 5 the side of the case next the observer is'omitted. The case is of any ordinary construction, the bolt J being arranged to slide to and fro therein.

The slide L is door B is opened.

The

bolt J is given a constant tendency to move outward by the spring m.

u, Figs. 5 and6, represents a tumbler or series of tumblers, which are pivoted at z and pressed downward by the-spring or springs 10. B, Fig. 6, is the key by which the keycenter y is turned and the lock operated. The arrangement is such that when the door B is opened the bolt J is caused to slide in the case outward by the springs m, Figs. 5

\ and 6, as indicated by the full and dot-ted lines in the drawings, so that the flat surface f,

Fig. 1, on the bolt will contact with the edge I) of the case and prevent the complete closing of the door and consequently the cutting off of the current by the cut-out O by the contact of the stud I-I'with the pin 1. When the bolt J is in its outermost position, the bevel h on its end projects beyond the inner edge of the case, and the closing of the door is prevented by the flat surface f striking against the flat surface I) of the edge of the case. The outer tumbler u is provided with a slot 1), having a hook c, with which the pin d on the bolt J engages.

Supposing the bolt J to be all the way out, as indicated in Fig. 1, the pin d is outside of the tumblers, and the key-center being turned by the key in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6 the tumblers are raised by the key, so that the pin d is brought into line with the slots 1), and the arm g, engaging with a notch in the bolt J, moves it'to the left, the pin (1 passes into the slots 7) in the tumblers, and the outer tumbler is then given a further upward movement by the cam won the key-center, soas to engage the pin (1 with the hook c, by which the bolt is prevented from moving outward. The inner edge of the hook c is beveled, as indicated in Figs.

the hook c and allows thespring w to swing the tumbler 'u down, so that the pin 61 can move out of the slot 1) and the bolt J can rejsume its outermost position as soon as the The end of the boltJ bears against the inside of the case at Z; until the door is opened, when the spring m forces the 1 bolt J outward into such position that the door cannot be shut, owing to the contact of the 1 surfaces f and b. The door 13 is locked when closed by the lock E. The supplemental lock D does not secure the door B in its closed position, but simply prevents the door from being closed when once open "until the person who carries the key to it withdraws the bolt and engages the parts in the position represented by Fig. 5. The door can now be closed,

the bevel h pressing the bolt inward slightly and releasing the pin d from hook c, as before described. The tumblers prevent the bolt from being pushed inward when the door is open either by accident or design.

My invention is applicable to both fircalarm and police signal-boxes, or it may be used for other purposes.

I claim- 1. The combination with the mechanism of an electric-signal box, of suitable ways connected together at their ends by bars of insulating material, a slide of insulating material arranged to travel on the ways and provided with contact-plates g, z 2", the posts 0 O and P P, the contact-arms n n, Z Z and Z Z, pivoted to the posts, the springs q, and suitable electric connections, substantially as described.

2. lhe combination With an electric-signal box provided with a door and lock, of a cutout arranged to be operated by the closure of the door, andasupplemental spring-actuated spring m and pin (1, the tumbler it having 0 book a, and the key R, whereby the bolt is automatically projected on opening the door to prevent the closing of the door until the bolt is retracted by the key, substantially as described.

LOUIS lV. MILLER.

\Vitnesses:

O. G. ORANNELL, 11120. 1;. SELDEN. 

